Chickpea Trial in Moora: Learning from a Season of Extremes

By Kate Parker, WMG Project Officer

This year, we established a chickpea trial on a 43ha paddock just outside of Moora as part of the GRDC funded and GGA led Grain Legumes Project. The trial paddock sits on heavy soil — not the typical choice for chickpeas, which generally prefer lighter, well-drained conditions. The purpose was to see how the crop would perform under these circumstances and what management insights we could gain.

What we didn’t anticipate was just how extreme the season would be. A dry start followed by abnormally high rainfall early in the growing period has created prolonged waterlogging in some areas of the paddock. This has given us a valuable opportunity to observe how chickpeas respond to these conditions on heavier ground.

How Waterlogging Affects Chickpeas

Chickpeas are particularly sensitive to waterlogging. Unlike cereals, which can tolerate short-term saturation, chickpeas struggle when oxygen in the root zone is depleted. Prolonged waterlogging can cause:

• Root damage – Reduced oxygen availability leads to root death and limits nutrient uptake.
• Loss of nodulation – Rhizobia, the bacteria responsible for fixing nitrogen, are sensitive to anaerobic conditions.
• Yellowing and reddening of foliage – Often caused by nutrient deficiencies triggered by poor root function.
• Plant losses – In severe cases, plants die outright, reducing crop density.

In the worst-affected areas of the trial site, we’ve seen all these symptoms: sparse plant stands, reddish foliage, and large bare patches.

Not the Whole Story – Resilient Areas in the Paddock

While waterlogging damage is significant in low-lying or heavier parts of the paddock, other areas have remained relatively unaffected. On slightly higher ground or in areas where drainage is better, chickpea plants are looking healthy, with strong root systems and active nodulation.

This contrast is important — it shows that even within a single paddock, soil type, topography, and drainage can have a huge influence on chickpea performance. It also reinforces why site selection is such a key factor in pulse production.

What to Watch for Next

Over the rest of the season we will be watching for signs of recovery in areas that were waterlogged earlier, monitoring disease risk, and assessing the eventual impact on pod set and yield. These observations will help gauge how much influence early-season stress has on the final crop.

A Season of Learning

This season is a good reminder that trying something new — even in less-than-ideal conditions — can give us useful information for future decision-making. While heavy soils and chickpeas aren’t the easiest match, this trial is helping us better understand the limits, challenges, and opportunities for pulse production in our region.

We’ll share a full wrap-up of results and lessons learned after harvest.